BLOEMFONTEIN

Bloemfontein City of Roses

When you’re in the Free State, or on the road from Cape Town to Joburg, you absolutely have to make a stop in Bloemfontein. With awesome museums, a great zoo, a casino, amazing architecture and a city completely encircled by a nature reserve, it’s a fantastic South African city experience.

It’s unique in that it is the size and heft of a large African city, yet has the feel of a small country town, with thousands of rose bushes colouring the streets. The literal translation of Bloemfontein from Afrikaans is “fountain of flowers”, which gives the city its nickname, “The City of Roses”. Hence, the annual Rose Festival is a popular local event.